Pregame
The Bobcats (10-2) are coming off a 2-1 weekend at the Michigan Invitational where they defeated Maryland and Marshall, before losing to No. 10 Michigan in five sets.
Buffalo (12-1) started its season with 12-straight wins in its non-conference schedule, before dropping its only match in the preseason to No. 13 Ohio State in the Blue and White Classic finale in straight sets.
Buffalo leads the Mid-American Conference in blocks with 3.12 blocks per set, while Ohio is the runner up with an average of just 2.50 blocks per set. The Bulls have also been able to keep their opponents' hitting percentage at just .099, which is also the best in the MAC this season.
Ohio leads the all-time series against Buffalo 29-2, including two straight-set sweeps last season.
First Set
Ohio won the first two points, but then Buffalo got the next three. Just three plays later, the Bobcats then tied it right back up at 4.
Buffalo got of to a couple small leads, but a service ace by Abby Gilleland helped the Bobcats tie the game back up at 7.
The Bobcats started to take a lead of their own halfway throught the set. A kill each by Liis Kullerkann and Kelly Lamberti, along with an ace by Alexis Pinson helped Ohio take a four point lead. Buffalo took a timeout. Ohio then led 14-10.
Ohio killed the ball a few more times, including a kill each by Gilleland and Katie Horton. Those along with an attack error by Buffalo gave the Bobcats their biggest lead of the set. Buffalo took another timeout. Ohio led 20-14.
The Bulls started to come back late in the set, but then Ohio took control to win the first set. Kullerkann had two kills and Lamberti had one in the final three points for the Bobcats.
Kullerkann recorded six kills in the set, and Gilleland had 11 assists, four digs and two kills.
Final: Ohio 25, Buffalo 17
Second Set: Ohio 1, Buffalo 0
Buffalo started the second match with a 6-2 run, which included three errors by the Bobcats. Ohio got it back within three, but then Buffalo got it back to a four point lead. That forced coach Ryan Theis and the Bobcats to take a timeout. The Bulls led 11-6.
The teams went back and forth for a few plays, but then a kill by Karin Bull and an attack error by Buffalo brought Ohio back within three points. Buffalo took a timeout, as they lead 15-12.
A couple attack errors by Ohio and a couple kills by Buffalo helped the Bulls get out to a seven point lead. Buffalo led 21-14.
Immediately after the Bulls got out to their biggest lead of the set, the Bobcats came back with three straight points, including a kill by Lamberti and two errors by Buffalo. The Bulls then took a timeout. Buffalo led 21-17.
Ohio started to come back, as they got within three points of the Bulls late in the set. A controversal in-bounds call late helped Buffalo pull away and the Bulls won the set by five.
Lamberti had five kills, and Gilleland had 10 assists and five digs in the set.
Final: Ohio 20, Buffalo 25
Third Set: Ohio 1, Buffalo 1
Ohio got off to a 5-0 lead early in the set, which was acheived by two straight blocks, an ace by Meredith Ashy, and then a kill each from Gilleland and Katie Horton. Buffalo immediately took a timeout.
After the timeout, Buffalo was able to get it back to a tie at 8-8, but then two straight attack errors by the Bulls helped Ohio regain a two point lead. Ohio led 10-8.
Three straight points by the Bulls put them ahead 11-10, but then the Bobcats tied it right back up. The teams went back and forth until the score was tied at 15.
Ohio got off to a short 6-2 run, which then forced Buffalo to take a timeout late in the set. Ohio then led 21-17.
The Bobcats got within one, as they led 24-19, but then a controversial in-bounds call late helped Buffalo get back into the game late. Ohio took a timeout, as they led 24-21.
The Bobcats dropped the next two points, and only led by one. They quickly took a timeout as they led 24-23.
After the timeout, the Bulls tied the game at 24, but the Bobcats held on and won the next two points with kills each from Mallory Salis and Lamberti.
Gilleland had nine assists and six digs, and Lamberti had three kills in the set.
Final: Ohio 26, Buffalo 24
Fourth Set: Ohio 2, Buffalo 1
Ohio got off to a 6-2 lead early in the set, which included four errors by Buffalo and a kill each by Pinson and Kullerkann. Buffalo took a timeout.
Buffalo got the score back within three points, but then Ohio went on a short 3-0 run which put them back up by six and forced the Bulls to take a timeout. Ohio led 12-6.
Buffalo got one point back, but five straight attack errors by the Bulls gave the Bobcats a commanding 10 point lead. Ohio led 17-7.
Buffalo got it back within eight, but then four straight points by Ohio put them up 22-10.
Ohio finished on a 13-5 run, which was capped off with a kill by Gilleland. The Bobcats won the fourth set by 13.
Final: Ohio 25, Buffalo 12
Final: Ohio 3, Buffalo 1 (25-17, 20-25, 26-24, 25-12)
Ohio
Abby Gilleland - 36 assists, 17 digs, 5 kills, 4.5 blocks, 2 aces
Kelly Lamberti - 13 kills, 11 digs
Meredith Ashy - 19 digs, 5 assists, 1 ace
Liis Kullerkann - 12 kills
Katie Horton - 6 kills, 5 digs, 3 blocks
Buffalo
Carrisa McKenna - 13 kills, 5.5 blocks, 4 digs, 2 assists, 2 aces
Dani Reinert - 21 assists, 12 digs
Tahleia Bishop - 12 digs, 11 kills
Up Next
Ohio (11-2) heads to Akron to take on the Zips (6-5) at 5 p.m. Saturday. Akron started the season with a 6-5 non-conference record after being picked to finish fifth in the MAC in the preseason coaches' poll.
Akron freshman setter Karley Kusan has been leading the Zips, while senior outside hitter Alex Cocklin has paced the squad with the eighth-most kills per set in the MAC.
Ohio has won the last five matchups against Akron, and the Bobcats lead the all-time series 32-23.
